The Countdown
by Wife.of.Whimsy
Summary: Bella moves to Forks and she's counting down to her death. Meanwhile, Edward thinks the new girl is a demon sent to torture him... until a few key events change his mind. Note to readers: reviews are like candy to me. Leave me some love
1. Chapter 1

_Thirty days._

I had to spend my last month alive in Forks. As I stepped off the plane and eyeballed the pregnant clouds above me, I resigned myself to accept the fact that I might not see the sun again. Warm, maternal sun, I bid thee farewell.

I snorted at myself. _Leave the drama to Broadway._ I hauled my bag to where Charlie stood waiting. He awkwardly lurched forward to take the weight from me. _I wonder how long he debated on whether or not to take my bag. Man, how can he look uncomfortable and happy to see me at the same time? _I didn't think about it long, though, instead focusing on what he was trying to tell me. He was glad to have me, blah blah blah.

It was hard not to be bitter when you know your days are numbered. Charlie didn't know. Renee did. Hell, it was partially Renee's fault-

I immediately regretted thinking that. It really wasn't my mother's fault I was in this. She'd been given an impossible decision to make and she chose to give me seventeen years on this earth as a normal girl... well, maybe not entirely normal, but normal enough.

Charlie helped me into his cruiser- _ride-along, greeeeaaaat- _and then we were off to the house. I forgot to make small talk, so poor Charlie was forced to come up with things to say.

"Your hair looks nice."

"Thanks, Dad," I said quietly, trying not to glower at the clouds. _Damn you, clouds. I can stand the green, but not the grey. _

I sighed.

An hour later, I was laying on the purple duvet on my purple bed in my purple room. Purple. Yippee. I couldn't hold Charlie accountable though. It's not his fault he didn't know my favorite color was blue. Oh well. _Stop being so mopey. He's trying to be a good dad. He bought you a truck for crying out loud! _My mind forgot about the color once my eyes zeroed in on the calender hanging on the wall.

One month left.

"Make it count," Peter had told me. "At least you know what's going to happen to you. Many of us don't get that chance."

Speaking of... I looked at my window and then at my watch. Peter should be here any minute now. Hmmm..... _maybe he found some mountain lions and got distracted,_ I thought wryly. With an eye roll, I pulled myself up and busied myself with arranging my room into an order that resembled somewhat the order of things back in Phoenix. Just because I'd said my good-byes to that place didn't mean I couldn't remember it.

I sighed and flopped back onto the duvet.

"Sweetheart, I, uh, I ordered some pizza for... ahem, dinner," Charlie's voice called up the stairs. I chuckled at his discomfort of having me there, but I called back my thanks and plodded down there to eat with him.

_Twenty-nine days. _

To be honest, I wasn't that nervous as I got ready for my first day of school. It was in the middle of the second semester and it was a tiny town. It'd be awkward, but I didn't really care. In a matter of weeks, I'd be gone from this place.

There were bigger things to worry about that what jeans I was wearing or my schedule.

Like why Peter didn't show up the night before. He said he'd be here with me every step of the way, so where was he? The look on the clock's face told me I didn't exactly have time to ponder things at the moment. I grabbed an apple from the kitchen, bid Charlie good-bye, and ran out the door.

Holy crow! It was freezing! Why on earth didn't I grab a jacket?! I cursed myself, flinging profanities at my own stupidity, while I climbed into the chilled cab of my new truck and started the beast-like engine. I flinched when it roared at me, but patted the dashboard hello despite my fear of the thing.

"Hello, Beastie," I muttered quietly. Yes, I talked to my truck. Don't judge me.

The short drive to Forks High School was quiet. I kept casting worried glances out the window, hoping for a sign of Peter, but he never showed. Of course, the little devil was good at hiding. _He could be anywhere. _

I was greeted with gawking stares when I pulled into the parking lot. _Do not roll your eyes, Bella. Do not roll your eyes. _I rolled my eyes anyway, mentally flipping my inner voice the bird. _Oh well, that's super mature. Way to be an adult, you dork. _

The first attack came right as I hopped out of the cab.

"Hi! I'm Eric!" a boy with almond-shaped eyes and a bright smile chirped from behind me. I spun around so fast I fell into my truck, looking at my assailant with wide eyes. _What is it about overly-perky people that just irritates me to the core? Oh yeah, they're overly-perky. Why is he still smiling? And why haven't I responded? _

"I'm Bella-"

"Swan, I know. Everyone does."

"Yay," I deadpanned. The sarcasm went right over his head, though, as he snaked his arm around my shoulders, barely let me lock my car, and ushered me inside. At least he kept me slightly warm and half-protected from the drizzle. My bare arms were prickling at the cold. _Note to self: grow fur. _

The next ten minutes consisted of me watching this Eric boy give me the most spastic tour in the history of tour giving. He told me snippets of history and then go on tangents about who's dating who and why that person we just passed glared at him and so on and so forth.

I stopped listening very early on. Instead, I observed my new surroundings and studied the schedule Eric had retrieved for me from a Mrs. Cope. She smiled and said something. I smiled back and nodded at whatever she said. _You forgot to pack your manners when you left, _my inner voice snickered.

During my first class, I met Ben, Angela, and Jessica. Ben thought he was funny. Angela was nice and I could see she'd be a good friend to have. Jessica gave me tips on how to manage my hair. I thanked her dryly and turned to listen to the teacher right as the woman told me to stand and introduce myself. Standing reluctantly, my eyes did a cursory scan of the other classmates before I said, "Hi, I'm Bella" and sat back down. A few snickers reached my ears but I didn't care, really.

The next class was the same. I introduced myself, the teacher taught, people bugged me with questions about where I was from and what I liked to do. The temptation to list "murder" as one of my hobbies was almost too great to overcome. It would've been mean, yes, but it would've been equally hilarious.

Renee often told me that my snarky sense of humor was why I didn't have many friends. Then she laughed and said, "That's my girl."

My head was throbbing by lunchtime. Countless girls had asked me why I wasn't tan. Just as many boys asked if I was doing anything that weekend. I envied homeschoolers. A lot.

I sat with Jessica, Angela, Ben, and Eric at a table in the middle of the cafeteria. Trying to fake interest in what they were saying, I'd nod and smile while wishing for a quicker death. How on earth was I supposed to enjoy my last days when I had to listen to "Like, oh my God, that shirt I bought last week like totally shrunk when my mom washed it. I swear, it's like she's trying to ruin my life"?

Peter was a dead man.

The table got quiet all of a sudden while I was rubbing my forehead; for a moment, I thought I'd gone deaf from the irritation, but then I realized they were all looking at the door. I followed their gazes to see five people entering. _Ah, Breakfast Club, _I snarked inwardly, turning back to my plate.

"Those are the Cullens," Angela explained lowly, leaning towards my ear like it was a big secret. I didn't understand the sudden decrease of personal space, to be frank. I'm sure the Cullens knew who they were.

"Okay," I sighed, checking my watch once again.

"Dr. and Mrs. Cullen adopted all of them, and they're all together. Like together-together," Jessica added, scrunching her nose.

"Jessica, it's not like they're related," Angela chided. Ben and Eric were joking about some sports-related thing at this point.

"But still," Jessica countered, "it's weird! I mean, they're all living in the same house together and-" she trailed off to shudder. I rolled my eyes before I could stop myself, tensing until I realized no one saw. Phew.

"Oh, and that's Edward Cullen," Angela pointed out subtly. I flicked my eyes to the boy she nodded towards and then back to my plate. He was handsome, in a classic sort of way. Ivory skin, bronze bed hair, tall and lean physique. After a glance, I returned my focus to my food. It briefly entered my mind that I didn't catch the names of the others. Oh well. As Jessica was telling me Edward was too good to date anyone, the bell rang.

I scurried off to Biology without looking back.

My headache worsened when Edward Cullen turned out to be my lab partner. His venomous glare and tense posture told me he was just as thrilled. Great.

_Peter better get here soon. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: let the records show I don't own anything. There. *looks around for the secret committee of copyrights* happy now, guys? **

* * *

She was heaven and hell dwelling in one body. When I first picked up her scent in the cafeteria I could have sworn someone sent her to torture me. _Her blood, oh, her blood_. It was intoxicating just being teased with a whiff of it. Sitting next to her, though, being bathed with the perfume of her life essence was enough to drive me to the brink of insanity. Carlisle wouldn't be happy upon hearing I'd been considering slaughtering an entire room of witnesses just to taste her. Thankfully, my control remained in tact. Why didn't Alice see this coming? I fumed while speeding back to my home, my sanctuary. A little warning would have been nice. That brought me to the other characteristic of Bella Swan's that tormented me: I couldn't hear her. Her mind was completely closed off to me. She didn't look at me, didn't talk to me- I was left without a way to read the inner workings of her brain. What was she like? The thoughts of others were hardly reliable, as I'd come to find over the years. The girls thought she was too plain- they criticized her hair, her clothes, her pale skin which was almost enough to elicit a chuckle from me. The boys thought she was stunning and each wondered for varying lengths of time what she would be like to have as a girlfriend.

Some thoughts were cleaner than others. I shouldn't have been shocked, but Mike Newton's cheap assessment of her made my gentleman blood boil into something almost savage. No woman should be treated like a toy. I considered killing him too, but not to taste his blood. I just wanted him removed from the earth before he had a chance to procreate and further pollute this world with his idiocy and vulgarity.

Anyway, I couldn't stay in Forks, that much was certain. Not while this brown-haired, brown-eyed demon was here. Pacing back and forth in my bedroom, raking my hands through my perpetually mussed hair, I must have looked like a madman. All I could think of was her blood. My imagination generated an image of her lifeless corpse before me, veins sucked dry. The delicate skin of her neck would bear my teeth marks. Her eyes would be dulled, lips ashen and gray.

Growling at myself, I fled into the woods for a meal of mediocre deer. I ignored the sympathetic and worried thoughts of my family.

Hours were spent in the forest, hunting and feasting. Her face was a constant in my mind's eye, despite my best attempts at casting her out. I could only hope that Carlisle would have some advice for me. Maybe he would permit me to head north to Alaska, waiting for Bella to depart Forks for college.

He didn't.

"Edward, you can overcome this. You resisted her today, I believe you will grow stronger as the days pass," Carlisle said. _I'm sorry, son, that you have to deal with this. _

I nodded numbly, envying his faith in me. I was a monster. I fantasized about murdering an innocent girl. And he sat there thinking I was a strong, good man. One he was proud to call his son. It was almost too much to bear. The rest of my family had similar thoughts- well, all except Rosalie. She thought I should have just lured Bella away from the school and killed her there to remove the temptation permanently. Esme chided her and embraced me with maternal arms.

I still wanted to leave.

"Why don't you take a camping trip," Carlisle suggested as if we were discussing a comfortable vacation. His thoughts told me he understood exactly how hard I was struggling. I rubbed my face harshly, a human habit, and told him I'd see him in three days.

I bolted from the house and headed deep, deep into the forest.

In that time, I tried to forget her face, her hair, her eyes- her _blood_- but nothing worked. The bear, the deer, the mountain lion, the elk- all of them seemed flavorless and dull, even more so than they had before Bella came along.

The time passed far too quickly and before I knew it I was dragging myself back home to face my personalized demon once again. Jasper's influence was enough to take the edge off my worry, but not enough to put me at ease.

I spent the entire night pacing and pounding out dark melodies on the piano.

The next morning I once again watched her through the others' minds. It was then that I noticed something closed off, guarded about her chocolate eyes.

Bella Swan had a secret. My bloodlust would be stifled, but my curiosity would not be ignored.


	3. Chapter 3

_Twenty-five days. _

Edward was back today. I knew it when I saw that stupid shiny Volvo in the parking lot. The past three days I had been bombarded with questions and giggling in all my classes except Biology. It had been nice to have a class where I could be alone and relax in the back of the room. But now, he was back. My bubble of solace was ruined.

It was not going to be a good day.

Peter still hadn't shown up. Part of me thought he was there the whole time, laughing at my predicament from afar. _Bastard. I'll get you back for this. _

My bad day started when Mike Newton- feel free to shudder- asked me to be his girlfriend. I tried to hedge, saying that I wasn't "girlfriend material" or something. He didn't understand. Figures. When I walked away he was under the impression that I'd think about it. Yay.

He told everyone I'd said yes. The whole school knew by lunch. I, in classic high school fashion, was the last to know. Jessica glared as Angela congratulated me. I told the table loudly that it was all a mistake, but of course Mike made obnoxious comments about me being shy and how he "liked that in a woman." _I'm not shy, you tard. I only have twenty-five days left. Why the hell would I be shy? _Then, to make matters worse, Edward was staring at me from across the room. Angela and Jessica made it worse by whispering and giggling about it. Jessica laughed too loudly... she was probably trying to make Mike think she didn't care. Gah, how do girls not know how obvious they are? I ignored all of them- Mike, Jessica, Eric, Angela, Edward- until the bell sounded and I made my escape.

Biology.

But of course, _he_ was there, all glares and gracefully awkward gestures, waiting at my table. I plopped down into the seat next to him with a huff; just because he was gorgeous didn't mean I was going to pretend to be all demure and crap in his presence. Pretty boy could deal.

"Hello," he said in a way that reminded me of a car lurching forward under the foot of a new driver. "I'm Edward... Cullen."

I slowly swiveled my head to look at him warily. "I know." _Something about his eyes looks familiar... where have I seen them before? _

He bristled at my tone but kept talking despite it. "I, uh, I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to introduce myself before."

I brushed him off. "It's fine. Don't worry about it." Thinking he would give up and be quiet, I turned back to the work sheet Mr. Banner was handing out. Mitosis. Fun fun fun.

"So, why are you here?" Edward's smooth voice asked.

Without looking at him, I replied, "I can only use menstruation to get me out of here every so often."

He cleared his throat. "Erm, let me rephrase that: why did you move here?"

"Renee remarried. I wanted to give the happy couple some space." _Liar. _

"That's... nice of you," he commented softly as Mr. Banner began teaching.

I shrugged, my heart clenching as I remembered that I would never see my mother again. Suddenly I couldn't breathe. _I would never see my mother again_. _I only had a little time left my father._

"Are you all right? You look pale," Edward said with mild concern.

"I'm always pale," I squeaked.

I risked a glance over at him to see his perfect eyebrows drawn together, causing a line to form on his forehead.

"Really. I'm fine," I tried to assure him. _Where's Peter? He always knows how to calm me down. _My breathing was shallow as my mind exploded around the crushing realization of my fate.

"Miss Swan, are you all right?" Mr. Banner asked. His voice sounded far away and distorted as if I was underwater. The room tilted. Edward steadied me.

Somehow, I ended up on a cot in the nurse's office listening to the woman tell Edward things about panic attacks. He nodded along like a good listener, but watched me out of the corner of his eye. I felt like a mouse under the analytical eye of a scientist. It made me uncomfortable, so I stared at my shoes instead.

Then, it clicked.

Boom.

My head jerked up to stare at his unnaturally beautiful face. _Crap. _

Edward was a-

"Miss Swan, maybe you should go home," the nurse suggested after I started to hyperventilate.

"I'll drive her," Edward said tightly, eying me with those topaz eyes. _At least they're not crimson... _

Edward quickly made arrangements with the lady before ushering me outside. He was close enough to look protective, but he wasn't actually touching me. While we walked, I tried to force myself to calm down. The chances of him actually hurting me were slim, in my opinion- a number of people saw us leave together. If I didn't make it home they'd suspect him and I knew his kind _hated_ that.

But I'd been wrong before.

Vampires. Cue shudder.

I cautiously lowered myself into the passenger seat of his volvo and force long, deep breaths into my lungs. _It'll be fine. He's just taking you home. You're not on the menu. _

"Do you get panic attacks often?" Edward asked softly. I jumped, not having realized he had gotten in.

"Sometimes," I croaked.

He nodded. "I'm sorry if I upset you."

I turned and scrutinized his profile while he started the ignition and put the car in gear.

"Don't worry about it. I guess I'm not adjusting as well as I should be," I said quietly. _Pfft. And the understatement of the year award goes to..._

"'As well as you should be'?" he asked with a tiny, amused grin. "I didn't realize there was a standard for adjusting to a new place."

I rolled my eyes and turned to glare out the window. "Oh yeah, you're hilarious."

It was quiet to my ears, but he heard it. He ignored it, but I knew he heard it.

"So, do you like to read?" he asked in another sad attempt at small talk.

"Very much," I answered. "I like a good novel I can just... sink my teeth into."

He shut up after that. Point for me.

* * *

_Twenty-four days. _

My first week was almost over and I was growing more worried about Peter by the hour. He said he'd be right behind me. He should've been here days ago. So where the hell was he? He probably wasn't hurt... or was he? Peter was tough and he was more than capable of taking care of himself, but it wasn't like him to just drop off the face of the earth like this.

I checked my phone and groaned out loud when the only voice mail message I had was from Renee. She loved me. She missed me. She was sorry things had to be like this.

If there was anything I hated more than pity it was people taking the blame for something that wasn't their fault. Renee had played a part, but so had others. She couldn't have known what she was doing when she forced me to go to Italy with her.

_Stop. _I closed my eyes and willed the memory to leave my mind. It was over. It was done.

I had twenty-four days left to live.

And it looked like I would spend them wondering and fretting about Peter. Charlie was unaware of my turmoil- he was more concerned about me finding suitable friends. The urge to snicker at him was almost too great to overcome. The only thing that kept me from openly mocking his words was the sobering thought of: I wouldn't be around long enough to make good friends. And who was I to make friends only to leave them?

Peter was the only friend I had left. He'd been there for me for years, almost my whole life. He was the big brother I never had. Renee loved him to pieces and let him camp out at our house for weeks at a time-

_Damn. _How was Charlie going to react to him? I slapped my forehead. He'd pull his shotgun out, no doubt. And that would be mighty awkward.

"Bells?" Charlie called.

I poked my head out my door. "Yeah?"

"Come downstairs a minute, sweetheart."

I frowned in confusion while I shut my door behind me and ambled downstairs to see what he wanted. I found him by the front door with...

Billy and Jake.

My childhood friend and his father.

"Hi, guys," I said, wide-eyed with surprise.

"Hey, Bella," Jake grinned. He was tall with beautiful, russet-colored skin and jet black hair pulled back into a loose ponytail. His warm cinnamon eyes took my figure in.

"Hi, Jake."

"Nice pajamas," he chortled.

My face burned when I realized I'd come down here in my Wizard of Oz jammies. Great.

"Thanks," I said cheekily, despite my embarrassment. "Hi, Billy."

"Hey, girlie," Billy beamed at me from his wheelchair. "Look at you. You're all grown up."

_Why do all adults say that? _"Thanks," I forced a smile.

"Billy and me are goin' out fishing today. You and Jake can hang out, okay? There's money on the table if you need to go out for anything. I'll see you later, Bells." Charlie kissed my cheek and then the two men were out the door, joking and trading jabs just like they always did.

Jake and I stood awkwardly in the foyer before we both laughed it off and decided to head up to Port Angeles. I, of course, changed into some old jeans and a t-shirt with a cartoon penguin on it first. Then we were off.

My focus was split the entire time we were hanging out. Every ten minutes or so, I'd think I saw Peter out of the corner of my eye; it was never him.

I hated how jumpy his absence made me. Jake asked about and I had to lie, saying it was just the new environment that was freaking me out.

_Peter, where are you? _

It was going to be a loooooong day.


	4. Chapter 4

Bella Swan was an enigma if I ever saw one.

She was overcome with a panic attack while talking about her previous life. I had seen my fair share of humans who could not adapt, but something about Bella's wild eyes and frantic heartbeat made her situation different. My instincts told me her anxiety ran deeper than her new environment. And then something possessed me to escort her to the nurse where she had another attack. This one was smaller, more controlled than the first and it seemed that something she saw in my face triggered it. The nurse, like a trusting fool, let me drive Bella home.

In my volvo, she barely looked at me and she didn't ask me to turn on the heat despite the chill in the air. She had to have been chilled, and yet she did not complain. I was thankful, though. The heat would have made her scent worse and sticking my head out a window would be too obvious. Another thing that puzzled me: most humans would have noticed I wasn't breathing.

Either she was oblivious or hiding something. Either way, I was intrigued by this odd little human girl no matter how enticing her blood was.

And then there was her little quip about reading. _"I like a good novel I can just... sink my teeth into."_

She couldn't know what I was... could she?

That night I received an earful from my family regarding the imbecilic nature of my actions. Carlisle and Rosalie both admonished me for being reckless, endangering Bella's life and our family's secret.

"Son, I can respect your testing of your self-control, but you really should take more care when handling a human. If you hadn't been able to keep your wits about you-"

"I was fine," I argued, one hand buried in my bronze mop and the other drumming an agitated rhythm on the table.

"I know, but next time you shouldn't be as hasty," Carlisle finished, worry shining through his golden eyes. _I only want what's best for you. I know it's been awhile since you fed on a human, but we can't risk it_, he thought. I nodded in understanding.

"I think he should just eat her and get her out of the way," Rosalie sniped.

A growl rumbled deep in my chest. "I'm not going to eat her, Rose," I glared. _I don't see why you're so attached to a little human. She's just another girl. They're all the same anyway. _My glare sharpened, and I gnashed my teeth as the image of Bella's corpse flashed behind my eyelids.

"Rosie, think of what that would do to Chief Swan," Emmett chimed in gently. His compassion was absent unless it the situation was in dire need of it. His mind showed a fresh memory of Chief Swan talking animatedly about his daughter's upcoming arrival.

_I wouldn't have been able to stand it. Human blood so close by... _Jasper's thoughts were stained by his own failures at resisting the siren call of human blood. If only he knew how much sweeter Bella's was.

"Well, I think it's nice that Edward has a friend," Esme commented sweetly. I rolled my eyes and smiled at her classic maternal personality. Even living as a blood-thirsty creature of the night, Esme brought the humanity to our home. Emmett made mental jokes and Jasper wondered if a vampire-human friendship was possible while Rosalie still thought of eating poor Bella. Carlisle and Esme debated the matter while Alice- my eyes turned to look at her- remained curiously silent. She twirled a spoon we had no need for between her slender fingers with a wistful smile on her face.

"Alice?" I whispered quizzically.

She looked at me with a glint in her eyes. "Yes, Edward?"

"Have you seen something?"

"Yes, but I'm not going to tell you," she giggled. Jasper kissed the corner of her smile out of habit- _man, he has it bad_- and took her hand in his, thinking once again how lucky he was to have her. I lowered my eyes and tried to ignore the thoughts swirling around.

Monday morning arrived quickly. Once more, I rifled through minds in a desperate attempt to learn more; apparently, I wasn't the only one she shut out. Bella kept everyone at arm's length. Of course, there were some that were oblivious to it. Mike, for example, followed her around like a puppy. _Pathetic._ My search for insight proved useless as I once again failed to gain any new information.

I tried to be inconspicuous as I watched her during lunch. She sat on the far side of the table, facing my table. Bella bit her plump bottom lip and picked at her food. My sharp eyesight detected a line between her eyebrows. She was worried about something and at this realization, my curiosity increased even further. _You're obsessed, _a little voice whispered in my head. I turned to glare at Jasper.

"No, I'm not," I said low enough for only his ears to hear.

He raised an all-knowing eyebrow at me, and said nothing further on the subject. His thoughts returned to his upcoming hunting trip with Alice.

I looked down at the repulsive human food on my plate and wondered if he was right. If he was, then I was treading upon thin ice. Being obsessed with her could not possibly end well for Bella.

Regardless of my concern, I said hello to her when she plopped down beside me in Biology. She dropped her bag to the floor with a loud thud and then returned my greeting without looking at me. Bella Swan was the first female in almost a century who didn't look at me when I spoke to her. I kind of fancied it.

"How are you feeling?" I asked softly, watching as she rested her elbows on the table and flicked her hair over her shoulder. _Hmm... strawberries. _

"I'm fine, I guess," she sighed sadly.

I shifted in my seat, turning to face her. "You guess?"

She shrugged. "I just... I had a really good friend back in Arizona. I miss him."

_Him? _"Oh, I see. Was he your boyfriend?" I asked awkwardly.

I was oddly relieved when she shook her head. "No, he's more like the older brother I never had. He was supposed to visit, but I don't know where he is." Her voice had gone from a dejected quiet to a raspy whisper.

"I'm sure he'll show up soon." Now I was trying to comfort her? What on earth was I thinking? I was supposed to avoid her like the plague and here I was, contemplating on whether giving her a hug would be too forward.

I was in trouble.


	5. Chapter 5

**Once again, I don't own a thing. And please review. I tend to write faster when I have feedback, so tell me how I'm doing.**

* * *

_Twenty days._

Edward Cullen was a very strange... boy? Man? Whatever he was, he was downright odd. For the past few days he had been making small talk with me in Biology and staring at me during lunch. Angela and Jessica, go figure, were having a field day with it, but I was decidedly less enthused about the attention. Usually when vamps take an interest in a human it usually means they're looking for a meal. This is why I was slightly worried when I caught him standing by that stupid volvo leering at me. Okay, he wasn't exactly leering, but still. It was a little creepy.

Peter still hadn't shown up, which was just freakin' perfect. I was getting less concerned and more pissed as the days ticked by.

I was brought out of my little monologue by Jessica's valley-girl style voice chirping at me. I blinked. _Oh, she's inviting me to go to the beach with them this Friday. _Suppressing a grimace, I politely told her I didn't think I could make it.

"You have to come, Bella. La Push, baby, La Push," Eric sang.

_Ladies and gentlemen, the boy is an idiot. _"Uh, thanks, but I really don't think-"

"Bella baby, we'd be awful sad if you weren't there," Mike said, leaning in close to whisper in my ear. Ew.

"Guys, I would if I could, but I just don't think it'll work out." _I'd rather slit my wrists and give Cullen a hug. _

Mike pulled his best puppy dog face. I didn't understand why people thought that worked. It was three kinds of pathetic.

"I'm sorry," I lied. "Charlie wants to spend some 'quality time' with me." _Wow. I hope they don't know Charlie very well or they'll never buy it._

Jessica whined a bit, and the others all spoke at once. My eyes raised just a little and collided with Edward's stare. Our gazes stayed connected for a few moments before I broke away and stood, telling the table that I had to ask Mr. Banner a question.

I did my best not to sprint out of the cafeteria.

Instead of going to Biology early, I exited the building through a side door and took in the fresh air. Rain was dripping from the sky, but I didn't care as I stepped off the sidewalk and headed toward the forest. The extra moisture added a fresh, crisp cool that was surprisingly refreshing.

A minute later, I sat down on a dead log and tried to will the tension between my shoulders away. It was peaceful out here; maybe it would be a good place to eat lunch from now on. The rain I could deal with. Incessant chatter I could not._ You have less than three weeks here. You're supposed to be making the most of this, _my inner voice reminded me. Peter would've scolded me, giving me that almost-parental look of his.

"You shouldn't be out here all by yourself," a voice said.

I looked to my right and saw Alice Cullen standing there, looking very much like a woodland pixie amongst the greens of the forest.

"Oh? Why's that?" I asked dryly. She glided over to me and gracefully lowered herself to sit beside me.

"My brothers and sisters are not the most dangerous things," she answered softly.

I eyed her. "Yeah, I know."

Alice laughed. It sounded like the little wind-chime Renee had hanging by our kitchen window.

"I suppose you do, but you still shouldn't be out in these woods by yourself. Something is... headed this way," she said quietly, looking out into the forest.

"It's not Mary Poppins, is it? 'Cause if it is, she's a little late," I deadpanned. My spine pricked with newfound knowledge: Alice knows something. I wasn't sure if she was psychic or something, but she definitely had a sense of foresight.

Alice giggled again. "Oh, Bella, it's no wonder why Edward is so fond of you."

My forehead scrunched in confusion. "What? Edward and I barely talk."

She grinned knowingly, in a way that made me think Edward might have said something about me to his family. The thought made me uncomfortable. I leaned away from her and grimaced at the ground.

"Don't worry. Everything will work out. Oh, that's the bell. They're blood-typing in Biology, by the way."

Edward flashed through my mind and I wanted to throw up. "Is Edward-?"

"He's skipping. Maybe you should too. Don't want to faint, now do you?"

"I didn't faint!" I protested, but when I looked she had already disappeared. _I hate when they do that. _

Rolling my eyes at the odd little vampire, I stood and made my way to the parking lot. I walked past the front door just as Edward walked out of it. We both stopped and blinked at each other before he spoke.

"Where are you off to, Bella?"

"To see the wizard," I quipped. "Where are you going, Edward?"

"I'm following a white rabbit," he shot back. "You haven't seen one, have you?"

I chuckled and played along. "I think I saw him go down the rabbit hole."

He laughed gently. "Well, I guess I'll see you later. Have fun in Oz."

I waved good-bye and headed to my truck.

* * *

_Nineteen days._

Charlie interrogated me over breakfast about my class-cutting the previous day. He wasn't happy and he didn't seem to understand my logic. I shrugged it off, told him I was sorry, and promised to never do it again. _I'll have to faint first next time. _Then, his face turned somber as he slid a can of pepper spray across the table to me. I picked it up, studied it for a moment, then raised a quizzical eyebrow at him.

"A construction worker was... attacked. We think it was some sort of animal."

My stomach iced over. "An animal?" It sounded too familiar.

"Yeah, maybe a bear or something."

_Or something? If he didn't have any blood left I have a pretty good idea of what it was. _I nodded slowly, thinking about Peter once again. He wouldn't just eat someone for the fun of it. Alice was right.

"Right, so carry that around with you and just... be safe, all right?"

"All right, Dad. I will," I said quietly before looking at the clock. "Oh, I have to go. I'll see you tonight. Bye!" I kissed his cheek and then ran out the door to my truck.

The "bear or something" was on my mind the entire ride to school. I was so distracted that I parked crooked, ran into some poor freshman, and tripped up the front steps. Fantastic. _Thankfully, _the entire Cullen clan saw me. Phew, for a minute there I was worried the Flawless Family would miss my epic fail.

I clenched my jaw and strode to my first class as fast as I could.

By the time lunch rolled around I was ready to break my promise to Charlie and cut class. The "gang" was trying to make all these plans with me. Although I couldn't really fault them for that. The didn't know I would technically be dead nineteen days from now.

I could, however, fault Edward Cullen for being strange in Biology. _Just when I was starting to like the guy... _

"So I saw you fall earlier," he said to me after we traded hello's.

"Uh huh," I sighed noncommittally, pulling out my notebook and pencil.

"Do you do that a lot?" he snickered.

I bristled and looked at him. "I guess. I mean, I'm not exactly the most graceful person."

"I guess last names can be deceptive."

My eyes narrowed. "Does your last name mean 'gentleman' then?"

That got his attention. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."

"Well, good job there, buddy," I snapped, turning back to look at Mr. Banner. _Please start teaching now. _

I heard Edward sigh heavily. "Look, Bella, I apologize for being rude," he said quietly and then, "I don't think we should be friends."

My head turned toward him, an incredulous look on my face. "Why's that? I mean, obviously you're speaking to human skills are a little rusty, but are there any other reasons?"

"I'm not a good friend for you to have," he muttered darkly, morphing back into the brooding boy I met on that first day.

I shrugged. "All right, then. We won't be friends."

"Good."

It would be days before we spoke again.


	6. Chapter 6

It had been days since I told Bella how I felt about a friendship between the two of us. It was rude and awkward and I was being punished for it. Icy patches on the school parking lot made driving treacherous and this was made blatantly clear when Tyler- the _idiot_- lost control of his van. It slid towards an unsuspecting Bella, who was deaf to the world with her earbuds in place. If I hadn't blurred across the lot and saved her... well, it was a thought I didn't want to entertain.

That's how I ended up standing in a hospital room, observing Bella's father fret over her while Tyler blubbered incessant apologies. I could not find it in me to mind his babbling, though. The Chief's thoughts were far more disturbing- wondering why I was near her when it happened, wondering why I was there at the hospital, wondering what my motives were. And then there were the worry-induced imaginings of her death. Bella's mind was frustratingly silent and I could not read her expression. Eyes downcast, hand lightly cupping an ice pack to her elbow- she looked perfectly calm and collected.

She hadn't looked frightened when she saw the van careening toward her either. It was disconcerting considering the usual human reaction to death is horror and fear. She had simply turned and watched with accepting eyes.

I reminded myself to breathe and hoped my brothers and sisters would not make a large deal out of this incident. Of course, I knew better. I could hear Rosalie's thoughts scream at me from down the hall and Carlisle was already chastising me while he walked toward the room.

"Ah, I heard the Chief's daughter was here," Carlisle said congenially as he breezed into the room with a puff of white lab coat.

Charlie nodded in acknowledgment as Carlisle briefly flipping through her history. _Goodness, the poor girl certainly does injure herself a lot. Broken arm, broken ankle... bitten by a wild animal? _My head lifted when I saw the printed words through my father's eyes. The report of her attack seemed suspiciously vague. Doctor's were trained to be thorough. As Carlisle began examining Bella, another figure suddenly appeared in the room. I bristled. He was a vampire. Tall, lean-muscled, hair the color of ink and eyes the color of topaz. His thoughts were calm as he ran his eyes over Bella. Carlisle tensed at the new presence.

_This must be Peter, _Charlie thought. He sized this Peter up and decided he did not look suspicious.

_Of course he doesn't look suspicious, Charlie, vampires would not flourish the way we do if we looked harmful, _I mentally grumbled.

"Oh, jeez, kid, what'd you do now?" Peter asked smoothly.

Her head jerked up and a wry smile appeared on her lips. "I'm pregnant," she deadpanned.

"Let's hope the baby gets your humor," he teased, lowering himself to sit next to her on the bed. _If she can crack jokes, she's okay. Thank God. I can't lose her now... _I listened to Peter's thoughts with bemusement. He was careful not to think anything too revealing which told me he already knew about my gift. I was decidedly irked by this.

"Where did he come from?" Tyler asked with slurred confusion. I glared at the new vampire for his carelessness and then Bella took both Carlisle and myself by surprise.

"What are you talking about? He's been here the whole time," she said sweetly. "Are you feeling okay? Dr. Cullen, maybe you should check his head again."

Peter grinned widely at Tyler before turning his attention to Bella's arm, gingerly taking it into his hand and brushing his pale thumb over her warm skin. _I'll have to take better care of her, _Peter thought. A foreign fire ignited in my torso, one I had never felt before. I had only experienced it through the minds of others. Envy.

"Well," Bella said brightly, "this has all been a hoot, but I think I'll be going now."

"Of course," Carlisle smiled gently. "Let me know if you experience any migraines or if you need anything."

I watched sullenly as Peter led Bella out of the room with an arm around her shoulder. Charlie wasn't bothered by it as he followed behind, instead reminding himself to tell Bella to call her mother.

_Go home, Edward. _I looked at Carlisle to see him subtly nod toward the door before turning back to Tyler. Silently, I left the room.

Shamelessly, I listened to Bella, Peter, and Charlie talk until they drove away. Unfortunately this meant I could torture myself with knowing Peter was staying at their house with them.

Rosalie didn't waste any time in seething at me once I arrived at home. It wasn't the first time she yelled out loud and mentally at me, but it was unpleasant all the same. Esme was soft in her agreement, as was Emmett. Jasper was tensely relieved no blood spilled, while Alice was curiously absent.

Carlisle was thinking about Peter.

"She saw you stop that van! What if she figures it out?!" Rosalie shrieked.

"It would have been more obvious what we are if she was cut and I sucked her dry in front of everyone," I countered. Jasper flinched and tried to radiate tranquility. It didn't work as well when he was agitated.

"Edward, darling, we know you did what you thought was best, but your sister does have a point," Esme chided gently, patting my hand.

"Yeah, man, what if she goes around and tells all her little friends-"

"She's not like that," I growled.

_What the hell do you know about her? Are you two suddenly best friends or something? _Rosalie sneered.

I glared at her, gnashing my teeth.

_Calm down, man, _Emmett warned.

"Maybe Edward is right," Carlisle intoned pensively.

All four of them turned to him quizzically.

He continued, "I think we should trust Edward's judgment."

The tension in my body melted as the family interrogation came to a close. I could only hope at that point that Bella would not prove me wrong.


	7. Chapter 7

_Fourteen days. _

Peter arrived yesterday. _Thank God._ I felt loads better with him around; now I had my own indestructible bodyguard. Woohoo. And I meant that. Never underestimate a vampire. Charlie still thought he was human, so Peter had to pretend to sleep on the couch. He hated playing human and he told me so after he sneaked up to my room for one of our late night chats.

He had already met Alice- go figure- and three other vampires that were considerably less friendly than the Littlest Cullen. When I told him about the "bear or something" Charlie had warned me about, he had to dart out to the forest so Charlie wouldn't hear him laughing. Once he calmed down enough to be silent, he returned to discuss what had been bothering him since the hospital.

Edward.

"I don't like the way he was looking at you, Bee," he had said. I scoffed and waved him off, but he was certain there was something brewing behind Edward's golden eyes. Of course, when Peter mentioned the possibility of "romantic feelings" my stomach did a weird little flip and my heart applauded. My face reddened when Peter called me out on it.

"I'm flattered, that's all," I shrugged nonchalantly. "Any girl would respond the same way."

Then, he dropped the mother of all bombs on me.

"Alice told me Edward can read minds."

My jaw nearly fell off my face. I couldn't even form words. In fact, by the time I reached school the next day, I was still freaking out about it. Every time I replayed one my interactions with Edward, my face would heat up and my stomach would twist uncomfortably. _Mortifying. _

I slowly walked across the parking lot, thinking about Edward... until I remembered he could read minds and promptly switched my thoughts back to Peter. And then I felt bad about giving Edward information about Peter, so I thought about Arizona.

Then I was reminded about the "incident." Dirty blond hair, fiery eyes, and sharp teeth puncturing my thigh. Without realizing it, I stopped walking while reliving the horror. The pain was so fresh in my mind it was almost unbearable.

So I forced myself to think about the weather.

Controlling my thoughts was much harder than I'd thought it would be. By lunch, I was mentally exhausted. Pushing my tray aside, I folded my arms and rested my head on my forearm.

"Baby, are you okay?" Mike asked as he sat next to me.

I wanted to tell him to stop calling me that. Instead I mumbled, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired."

"Poor thing," Angela sympathized, patting my back gently.

"Yeah, that must have been so scary. I mean, I was scared and I wasn't even near her," Jessica babbled.

Cue eye roll.

"Yeah, she was lucky Edward was there," Eric added.

My back tightened at the mention of Edward.

"It's amazing they weren't crushed," Mike said, placing a hand on my back. _Eww. _

I couldn't listen anymore. Shoving myself away from the table, I stood and left, muttering something about going to the nurse.

That log in the woods was where I ended up; the air was cold, the log was damp, and the threat of "carnivorous" vampires loomed over me, but I didn't care. The fresh air and the quiet was worth it.

"Morning sickness?" Peter teased as he appeared beside me. I rolled my eyes at the reference to our running joke. Neither of us had any idea where the "Bella is pregnant" joke started, but it wasn't about to die any time soon.

"Ha ha," I said dryly, dragging the toe of my shoe through the mud.

He chuckled before falling silent. "What's going on in that pretty little head of yours?"

"I'm frustrated, I guess. Two weeks left and everything is so mundane and monotonous. The only reason I moved back here was to spend the rest of my time 'alive,' so to speak, with Charlie, but he's barely around. And I'm afraid he'll beat himself up about that after I leave."

"That's rough. I'm sorry, Bee."

I shrugged. "It's fine. Life goes on, right?"

"More or less," he smirked. "Maybe you should write Charlie a letter. You know, give him something to comfort him when you're not around. That's what my mom did before she died."

"That was nice of her," I commented softly.

"Yeah," he smiled warmly at the memory. "She was amazing."

Leaning over, I rested my head on his shoulder. "What was her name?"

"Katherine."

"Pretty."

Peter hummed in agreement. "You've heard of her. She was Henry the eighth's first wife."

I jolted upright and gaped at him. "Your mother was Katherine of Aragon?"

"Yes."

Mind blown. _He's a lot older than I thought he was. _

"But... he divorced her because she couldn't have a son. I don't understand how you're here when..."

He chuckled. "Henry was the one with the issues and he's not my father. After he banished my mother she was devastated. There was a soldier named Thomas who escorted her to her new home and the two of them became friends. He would visit her every chance he could and soon enough they fell in love. I don't think I have to tell you what happened next." Peter winked at me suggestively. "They had to keep it all a secret, though, because of Henry would be furious if he found out. The only person who knew about the affair was Thomas' sister, Anna. After my mother died, he smuggled me to Rome to live with her."

By the time he finished telling me the story of his parents, I was snuggled under of of his icy arms with my head resting on his chest.

"That's so romantic... in a sad sorta way," I murmured.

I felt him nod.

For a few minutes we were both silent, each lost in our own thoughts.

Then he nudged me and told me the bell rang.

_Great._

Peter laughed, picked me up, and dropped me off by the door closest to the Biology room in less than two seconds. Stunned and experiencing a bad case of head rush, I stumbled into class with the excuse of "I felt dizzy so I got some fresh air" ready on my lips when Mr. Banner asked.

I fell into my seat next to Edward and once again struggled to keep my mind blank.

Somehow, I resisted the urge to point out the fact that he wasn't breathing.

That night Peter and I sat on my back porch and discussed "the plan" once more. We had two weeks before "D-day." My nerves were humming steadily beneath my skin as he told me what I could expect. The pain. The letting go of everyone I loved. The disorientation. The isolation.

I didn't tell him how much I didn't want to do this because I didn't have a choice.

* * *

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	8. Chapter 8

I had every intention of following Bella out to the woods to make sure she was all right until I heard _Peter_ accompany her, his thoughts sternly telling me to stay put. Obviously, he was here to stay, which irritated me more than it should have. Jasper chided me, doing his best to calm my anger. _You haven't a reason to be possessive over the human, Edward. Control your temper. _Alice was still keeping her knowledge to herself; my vexation only increased as she continued to block me from her thoughts.

Bella and _Peter_ were given their privacy by my family. None of us listened to the story of his mother Katherine... all right, I may have been listening. But, it was only to make sure she was okay.

Biology was a relatively silent affair. Neither Bella nor I spoke.

That night my family hunted together. I, having eaten the night before, opted to remain at home. _Maybe you could swing by her house on my behalf and make sure she's feeling all right, _Carlisle suggested slyly before disappearing after the rest of them.

That thought made focusing on my piano or the book I was reading impossible.

Left with no other option, I slipped on the jacket I didn't need and headed out to my volvo. I shoved the keys into the ignition and swiftly pulled out of the driveway. On the way to her house, I forced myself to drive slowly. Driving at one hundred miles an hour down residential streets tended to make the humans uncomfortable.

I saw a flash of brunette hair off to my left, in the woods. _Bella._ Stomping on the brakes, I threw the car in park and fluidly exited the vehicle.

"Bella!" I called, jogging after her. She whirled around to face me, but her eyes didn't hold the slightest sign of surprise.

"Hi, Edward," she said sweetly before continuing on her way.

"Bella, wait," I sped up to walk beside her, matching her human stride. "What are you doing out here? It's dangerous-"

Aggravation flickered beneath my sternum when she rolled her eyes.

"Edward, honestly, I'll be fine."

I could hear Peter conversing with Charlie, miles away at Bella's house. "I don't think you understand just what could happen to you out here. There are wild animals and-"

"And what? _Bloodthirsty_ killers?" she asked sardonically. "Peter's looking out for me. And you wouldn't let anything happen to me anyway."

My brow furrowed. "What makes you think I'll protect you?"

"You haven't killed me yet. You didn't let me die when you could have. Obviously, you have some interest in my well being."

"I'm not the good guy, Bella. Being around me could end with you being seriously hurt. I told you, I'm not a good friend for you to have."

Bella stopped and turned on me, tense hands placed on her slim hips. "Then why the hell do you keep popping up in my life? Huh? If you really thought you were bad for me, you would stay away from me."

"Someone has to look out for your well being. Apparently you don't care what happens to you," I shot back. It was childish of me, but for some reason my control over myself weakened in her presence.

Her chocolate eyes narrowed. "For your information, I do have someone looking out for me. Peter is a very efficient bodyguard."

"Oh yeah, I can see that- oh wait, no I can't because he's _not here," _I snapped sardonically._ "_If he really was good at protecting you he wouldn't let you out of his sight."

"Come on, he's not that far away and Peter is very... aware of his surroundings."

"I'm sure," I scoffed.

Her face turned the most beautiful shade of pink, her breathing sharpened, she _scowled_ at me. It had been years since a woman had reacted to me this way. The word "refreshing" came to mind.

"You know what? Just leave. Go munch on a deer or something."

My eyes widened. If my heart still beat, it would have gone into arrest.

"What did you just say?" I asked quietly.

"You heard me, Vamp Boy," she spat before storming off in the direction of her house. I stayed still for a moment before darting back to her side.

"How long have you known?"

"I grew up with Peter. I know a vampire when I see one."

Unsure of what to do, I kept walking beside her, hoping this would not end badly.

"Oh, don't act so surprised," she continued. "You _can_ read minds, after all."

"That's true," I spat, "but for some unfathomable reason, yours is completely silent."

Bella stopped- I did too- and she blinked at me in astonishment. "Oh."

I heard Peter a second before he appeared next to Bella.

"Everything okay here?" he asked, his thoughts saturated with warning.

Bella smiled brightly at him and said that we were fine. Something foreign rippled through my chest at the sight of her smile.

I needed to go home.

I muttered something along the lines of "see you at school" and fled. As I walked back to my car, I listened to their conversation. Peter chided her for being "snippy" and Bella argued back that I provoked her. The bickering eventually faded into amicable chatting about what movie to watch after dinner.

The more I thought about the odd pair, the more I began to wonder if humans and vampires could actually develop functional relationships. Imagining myself carrying on a friendly conversation with Bella was... well, the idea made the heart that hadn't pulsed in years warm just the slightest bit.

* * *

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	9. Chapter 9

_Five days. _

Edward had been acting strangely ever since that conversation in the woods. He would be friendly one day and aloof the next. To amuse myself, I would make predictions regarding his behavior while I ate breakfast and reward myself with candy if I was right. More than once, I'd caught him staring at me- in the cafeteria, the hallway, Biology class- and I had considered calling him out on it, but it was more fun to watch him think he was stealthy. _That's right, Mr. Bond, no one can see you. _

I fiddled with my napkin instead of eating, thinking about Edward... again. Peter teased me that morning about having a little crush on the Cullen kid, but I'd denied it vehemently. As my eyes met his from across the room, I began to wonder. _No, _I scolded my thoughts. _You'll be gone in five days. Don't go down this road._ With a huff, I went back to trying to pay attention to the table conversation.

"Oh my God, did you see what that _slut _was wearing?" Jessica babbled. _Aaaand we're done._

"I need to talk to-" then I realized no one cared, so I just left.

The Biology room was chilly; someone had left the window open and shattered rain drops were sneaking in with the wind. I briefly considered closing it myself, but decided to relish in the sensation of the cool air on my skin while I could. That's what Peter told me to do. _"Soak up any and every detail you can, while you can."_ Whenever he started lecturing me on enjoying my last days it seemed more than a little morbid, but I tried to take his advice as best I could.

"What are you doing here?" Edward's voice asked from beside me.

I jumped, but managed not to scream. "Jeez, make some noise or something!"

"Sorry," he apologized without looking remorseful.

Rolling my eyes I asked him what he wanted.

"You left in a hurry. I was concerned."

"Right."

"I was," he said defensively.

I sighed in annoyance and rested my head against the desk.

The bell rang and just like that, our conversation was over.

* * *

_Four days._

The next day was sunny and Peter insisted that I stay home. So I did. I told Charlie that I was having really terrible menstrual cramps. It wasn't a complete lie, I did get my period that day, but the cramps weren't that awful. Still, I thought it was a bit sad that men always fall for that one.

"Have a nice day, sweetheart," Charlie called as he rushed out the front door.

Peter "woke up" when the cruiser pulled out of the driveway.

"All right, go outside and enjoy the sunshiney goodness while you can... without sparkling," Peter teased.

"Can I take a shower first?"

"Nope."

Before I could take another bite of my cereal, he picked me up like a mother cat and flung me out the back door. I fell on my butt, stunned, and then made the mistake of looking straight up into the sun.

"Ahh!" I groaned as the sun stabbed my brain.

_Not a good day for Bella._

Blinking rapidly and shielding my face from the light, I climbed to my feet and surveyed the yard.

"How long do I have to stay out here?" I asked, knowing Peter could hear me well.

"Enjoy it! This might be your last day sparkle-free!" came the reply.

I rolled my eyes and folded my arms over my stomach. Forks proved that just because the sun was shining, it wasn't necessarily warm out.

"The sun will still shine when I'm dead," I muttered before flopping down onto the grass, laying on my back. The sky was a healthy blue, with plump clouds squatting here and there. The morning dew that still clung to the grass seeped through my shirt, dampening my skin.

_I only have four days,_ I thought quietly.

I would miss my skin being warmed by the sunlight. I would miss Charlie, Renee, and even Phil. I would miss this house, maybe even this town. I would miss feeling the rain. I would miss hot showers. I would miss my sort-of friends. I would miss Arizona. I would even miss Edward.

_I'm not ready for this. _

I closed my eyes and wished for a different fate.


	10. Chapter 10

Bella Swan was dead.

I received word this morning. She went for a walk in Port Angeles. She was attacked by street thugs in an alley. A hit and run. The town was in shock. I was in shock.

The pictures were only accessible to me through the mind of Charlie. He was not allowed to work on the case. His pain was intense, coming in rough waves over and over. The grief was unbearable to listen to. Alice took Jasper away for the time being. The collective mourning was crippling to him.

I sat in the woods for long hours after I heard. Carlisle sensed my lust for bloody justice. The men who took this angel's life away had to pay. My hands itched with the urge to shred their bodies. In my fantasy, their deaths would be slow and painful. Their blood would be a river in the street.

However I knew that it would not satiate my agony. It would not bring Isabella back.

My chest had never felt so empty. I should have known the warmth I had felt over the past month was her doing and would be ripped away when she was. Why didn't I seek her out more? Why did I try to push her away? _Well, you wanted her gone, _a sinister voice sneered. _You got your wish. She's gone forever. You will never see her again. _I curled in on myself and wept bitterly.

The clouds had enough compassion to snuff out the sun for days leading up to and following her funeral. Dark, damp. It reflected the mood of everyone. Bella's "friends" did not go to school and neither did I. Instead, I wandered through the woods. On nights when I was feeling particularly pathetic, I would climb into Bella's room despite the obvious breach of privacy just to be surrounded by her now fading scent. She always smelled like the air of a strawberry field, fresh and sweet. I would only be able to linger for a short while, though. The icy feeling of loss would soon overtake me and being in her sanctuary would be like poison for my spirit.

Peter disappeared two days after the funeral. He and I had both stood in the back of the church, side by side. If I had suspected him as Bella's slayer, I hadn't after the funeral. His thoughts were stained indigo with anguish and his eyes remained golden.

No, Bella's death was not an attack. It was a hit and run, like they said. There was not a single thing I could do to bring her back.

I wished I could sleep. If I could dream, I could be with her for a few more moments.

_Foolish. Lamenting the loss of a girl that you could barely speak to. She would not have been yours even if you did make your feelings known. You're a monster. You're alone because you deserve to be. _

Maybe Bella was better off. I would have only destroyed her anyway.


	11. Chapter 11

When I opened my eyes I was aware of a million things at once.

The odd non-ache in my body. The dust in the air. People talking. The tiniest swirls in the wood grain of the ceiling. The tiny fibers in the blanket. The _thump-thump_ of an animal heart about a half-mile away. _Why is everything so __**loud**__?_ The light bouncing off the snow outside. The burning in my throat. The _colors. _Three days ago, there were not as many colors in the room.

I heard the sound of footsteps coming closer.

I blinked even though I didn't need to and then sat up. Unfortunately, I forgot my strength and would have propelled myself off the bed if Peter hadn't dashed in the room to catch me.

"It's okay, I've got you," he said.

"It's so loud," I whimpered quietly.

"I know, Bells," he exhaled, trying to make his voice as soft as possible. I inhaled and it felt wrong. The extra air in my body felt foreign for some reason. My human habits felt clumsy but I was scared to stop them. I forced my eyes to blink again.

"My throat hurts," I rasped as I tried to stand. My body snapped upright quicker than I expected and it felt wrong that I didn't get whiplash. I looked down at my new body. My muscles were more pronounce, the fat was gone. The strength was practically coursing through me.

"You need to feed," Peter explained lowly. I moved my eyes to him and nearly stumbled backward. Every detail of his feature was redefined by my new eyesight. Every line and color was sharper. I could see triangles of caramel in his topaz eyes, little rings of butterscotch around the black or his pupils. His hair had a million shades of purples, reds, and black in it.

"You'll get used to seeing all the details. Just calm down, it's okay."

I nodded, again too fast, and became disoriented. I fell back on to the bed, like a stone, and stared at Peter's white marble hands. They looked so smooth.

"Come on, Bambi. Let's go eat something."

"If we're going to eat woodland creatures, I'm going to have to ask you not to call me that," I quipped shakily.

Peter chuckled and led me outside.

My human instinct told me that the snow would be freezing on my skin. Peter, with an iron arm around my iron shoulders, ushered me into the deep white. I couldn't feel it and I was alarmed at first until he told me it was normal. I wasn't supposed to feel the cold.

I felt silly. He told me about what being a vampire would feel like before I was changed and I assured him I understood. So why was I acting like a complete fool?

"Your old habits will fade more quickly than you think," Peter answered. "Yes, you said that out loud."

I didn't blush and I almost wished I had. Hopefully I wouldn't continue to miss being human as much as time went on. _Lord knows I have plenty of time now..._

Peter brought my attention back to the task at hand. Food. I could still hear the faint _thump-thump_ and I could smell... _blood. _It smelled like life, two parts sweet and one part salty. Gushing and gurgling within the veins of what I thought was a bear.

The burning in my throat bubbled into my mouth, my teeth felt wet. Then, all of a sudden, I was dashing across the span of snow to the forest, legs flashing beneath me wildly. The only thing I could think of was dousing the fire inside me. I could sense it nearby, getting closer as I entered the forest. The trees were nothing more than blurred columns that I weaved around unthinkingly.

_Closer. Closer.... _

Acting on animal instinct, I grabbed the bear's throat and snapped it beneath my hands. My teeth dove into the flesh of its neck and I greedily drank its crimson life.

When Peter found me I had killed another bear and two elk. I had drank too fast and too much and I was embarrassed when Peter's hands swept my long hair away from my face as I vomited some of the blood back onto the forest floor. The whole thing made me feel like a helpless, pathetic and slightly creepy child.

"I see you figured things out," Peter jested quietly as I gagged and tried to wipe some blood away from my mouth.

"Shut up," I wheezed.

"Don't bother trying to clean up. We'll hose you off at home."

I nodded meekly and stood up straight, surveying the trail of carnage I left behind me.

Soon enough, I was sitting in the bathtub, fully dressed, soaking in warm water and listlessly scrubbing at the dried animal blood I was covered in. Peter was on the opposite end of the cabin, reading a book. I could hear his fingers turning the pages.

A small ray of sunlight filtered in through the curtains and caressed my bare ankle in the water. I watched as my incandescent skin glittered to life under the light. Small flecks of light bounced off my ankle and danced on the walls. Slowly, I leaned forward and slipped my hand into the little spotlight. Sure enough, the skin of my hand lit up like a Christmas tree. I had seen this effect on Peter's skin occasionally when he decided to venture out into the Phoenix sun, but it was odd seeing it on myself.

I raked my sharp teeth over my stony bottom lip and looked at the mirror that hung above the sink. Peter told me to wait a while before looking at my new vampire face, but the curiosity was intense. As quietly as possible, I rose from the tub and stepped in front of the mirror. My chest quivered a gasp as I looked upon a stranger. The skin of my face was white as ivory, my eyes were a light butterscotch, my features were sharper and more defined. My chocolate hair was lush and even though it was wet, it fell in perfect waves.

I was._.. beautiful. _

_

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More reviews= faster updates. Please and thank you  
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	12. Chapter 12

I knew my family was concerned about my mental stability, but I could not have cared less if I were a sociopath.

_You need to eat something, Edward. You're wasting away, Esme pleaded. _

I stroked three piano keys and let the chord bleed out into the room. My melodies had gone from bitter to downright depressed as the days rolled by. Nothing really mattered anymore.

_Son, at least come down to comfort your mother. She's working herself into a frenzy. _

As Carlisle's thoughts reached me, I leaned forward to rest my forehead against the piano. A strange weight had overtaken my body, making even the slightest movement difficult. My grief was manifesting itself as physical pain- something I did not feel often. Bella overtook my thoughts. The pain of losing her occupied one half of me and the other half was devoted to replaying every memory I could find of her, in my mind and in the mind's of others.

Poor Charlie was victim to my stalking. His mind was ripe with thoughts of Bella as well. Through him I could see her as a child and a gawky preteen. I could hear her laughter and see her smile; for a moment I could lose myself in it and feel that everything was right in the world. And then I would remember that she was... gone. Like a puff of mist. Human life was fragile.

I should have protected her. Should have followed her, made sure she was safe at all times.

Another chord rang out from beneath my sad fingers.

_Stop being so dramatic, Rosalie scolded. Quit moping and get over it. _

I glared at the door and wished I had enough will power to yell at her.

_You should have eaten her when you had the chance. _

Alas, the will power was found.

"Rose, that's enough!" I shouted. My voice sounded strange to me after being out of use for days.

I slumped back over the piano and played four more notes. The music I played was unorganized and dark as ever.

_Dude, you need to take it easy. Go out and kill something. It'll do you good, Emmett suggested. _

The fact that I grew weaker by the day hadn't escaped me; however, I could not be bothered with my own health.

Why hadn't I protected her?

Why did I let her out of my sight?

A sad tune poured out from the piano at the instruction of my hands. The burning in my throat was beginning to demand my attention, now harder to ignore. I could smell a deer nearby.

_Sweetheart, Esme's thoughts trickled into my mind. Bella would not want you to do this to yourself. She was a kind girl and she did not deserve to die, but she would want you to move on. Honey, I'm sure she doesn't blame you for this, wherever she is. This is not your fault. You can't change the past. Now, please, eat something. Do it for Bella, Edward. Live for Bella. _

I dashed to the window of the attic and climbed out onto the roof before dropping to the grass. Facing my family was not an option. Instead, I sought refuge in the forest.

It wasn't far into the trees that I broke down, crumpled to the ground, and cried out in grief once again. Running away was useless, I knew. Their ears could very well hear me, but I could not bring myself to care at this point.

I thought of her smile. The small dimples that formed in her cheeks as her face lit up.

I wanted nothing more than to see her face again, hear her laugh... hold her. The warmth of her skin was a memory that was fast-fading.

I would have given anything to have her back. There was a selfish place in the back of my mind that was growing larger every day. A dream where Bella and I could have each other without worrying about the laws of my world or hers. My mind would conjure images of her small figure nestled into my chest, cradled by my arms. Her hair would drape over my skin, a silk curtain. My hand would rest over her abdomen, letting the warmth of her soft belly kiss my palm.

The fantasy was masochistic. I was aware. It would let my heart soar before crushing it once more after I could no longer deny reality.

Bella was dead. I would never see her again.

I forced myself to move again, standing and slowly walking deeper into the forest. The town was not a place I liked to go anymore- not that it was before Bella. Because I had not been at school or seen walking about, they suspected I had some deep guilt. They suspected I was either Bella's secret lover or one of the monsters who did away with her. Of course, they would never actually seek to find evidence. They simply liked having someone to blame. I would not try to correct either theory. The human mind would not be so easily convinced. Charlie took no notice of them, though, and for that I was thankful. I could not handle dealing with a grieving father who wanted answers.

I spent the night wandering. One deer fell prey to my hunger and I regret to say it was a slow death. My vampire speed had turned into lethargic, careless movements. After my belly was full, I continued to meander, not sure of my exact location but sure I could find my way home if I really wanted to.

The cemetery was where I finally ended up. Even through the dirt, I noticed the faint smell of the freshly laid bodies. My feet took me to the place Bella's corpse was now resting. Her headstone was pale, simple, and elegant. Her name looked wrong carved in stone.

I sank to the ground beside her and stared at the deep grooves in the stone. The cold feeling of loss washed over me once more so roughly that I almost didn't notice a small, folded square of paper tucked into the grass beside the headstone. Carefully, I plucked it from its hiding spot and opened it to find on it printed neatly the words:

_Do not stand at my grave and weep; _

_I am not there. I do not sleep._

_I am a thousand winds that blow._

_I am the diamond glints on snow._

_I am the sunlight on ripened grain. _

_I am the gentle autumn rain. _

_When you awaken in the morning's hush _

_I am the swift uplifting rush _

_Of quiet birds in circled flight. _

_I am the soft stars that shine at night. _

_Do not stand at my grave and cry; _

_I am not there. I did not die. _

I first thought someone was mocking my pain. Out of habit, I breathed in and that's when I noticed, with alarm, that the grave site did not smell of death.

Bella's grave was empty.

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_I love getting reviews (hint hint). And the poem is not mine._


	13. Chapter 13

**EPOV**

_Bella's grave is empty. _

My mind, even in its advanced state, could hardly wrap around this new information.

_Bella is not dead. _

This had to be a hallucination. A cruel and sadistic hallucination. I had officially lost my mind.

I pondered this as I slowly wandered back home.

_Either I'm insane or Bella's death never occurred. _

To let myself believe the latter was terrifying. If my hopes in seeing her again rose too high and I found out I was wrong, it would hurt even worse.

I needed to talk to Carlisle... and Alice.

Then a thought stopped me in my tracks. _Peter._

I was an idiot. Of course, Peter had something to do with Bella's disappearance. But why? My legs moved faster. Why would Peter make Bella disappear? Why hadn't I seen anything in his thoughts? Charlie obviously knew nothing of it. Did Bella? Why would she want to fake her own death? What was she hiding?

My mind replayed everything I knew about Bella. She was from Phoenix. Her mother recently remarried.

Energy coursed through my body as I designed a plan.

I would find her. And when I did... well, I would figure that out when the time came.

**BPOV**

It wasn't long before the day when Peter let me off on my own came. Technically, I was not on my own seeing as how I was smack dab in the middle of a frozen wasteland. The nearest human being was at least a hundred miles away. Honestly I shouldn't have been surprised at our new location.

I squeezed a sigh from my lungs purely for dramatic effect while I sat on a fallen log. Animal blood didn't sound appealing at the moment, so I took my small bit of "freedom" to simply sit and think about things. Of course, thinking about things didn't take as much time as it used to. My new brain whirred much faster and my memories of the human Bella rapidly crisped and disintegrated like a dead butterfly's wing.

The stories of Human Bella were more like bedtime tales than personal history. Peter told me how often I would get into scrapes, how I would almost always have a bruise here and there. It wasn't long before my mind categorized bruises and cuts with dragons and unicorns. Mythical. Unrealistic. Yet still something I thought of and almost wished to see.

I had started keeping a diary by Peter's insistence. He told me that a hundred years from now I would enjoy reading about my human self. My family. The few friends I had. The pile of rust I drove to school. The taste of coffee and the awful layer of fuzzy aftertaste it left in my mouth. What it felt like to be exhausted, out of breath. What a sunburn was.

The recording of these things was tedious. I still felt too big for my body and broke an obscene number of writing utensils.

Suddenly, I sensed something in my environment had shifted. I blurred from my perch on the log to the edge of the forest. My eyes focused on the window of the cabin miles away. As a newborn, I had an advantage over older vampires. This allowed me to be aware of the new guests before they were aware of me.

_Cullens. _

"Oh she's around here somewhere," I heard Peter say.

Rolling my eyes, I turned and ran back into the forest.


	14. Chapter 14

Dialogue anyone?

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BPOV

I wandered around until I was sure our "guests" had left. The sun had skipped around the sky a few times by the time I returned to the house. Peter was waiting for me on the couch with a smirk on his face.

"You have a nice day?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Yeah, this wasteland gets better and better every day."

"We had some guests. You just missed them."

I tried to look surprised. "Oh, that's too bad. Who was it?"

"Alice and Jasper Cullen."

Fake surprise became real surprise. "What did they want?"

"Well, Jasper needed a vacation and Alice wanted to give us a heads up in case Edward showed up."

My human body would've stumbled and gawked. "Why would he show up? Did she tell him that I'm not dead?"

Peter held his hands up in a don't-blame-me gesture. It seemed human. I was a tad jealous.

"Alice didn't tell him anything. Apparently he figured it out."

I felt my eyebrows furrow. "How?"

"Well, if you had been here you would've heard from Alice, smarty pants."

Eye roll. "Then tell me where she went and I'll ask her myself."

My new eyes caught the flash of movement that was Alice streak into the room and gracefully land on the couch.

"Alice Cullen, at your service," she intoned theatrically with a prim curtsy.

"Hey, Snow White. Is Mopey here too?" I teased.

"I heard that!" Jasper called from outside. "And I'm not moping!"

"He's not coming in?" Peter asked.

Alice shook her head, sending her jet black spikes flying. "I'm better at hiding visual memories from Edward. If we see him before you do, we don't want to ruin the surprise."

"What surprise?" I was confused.

"The new you, silly," Alice giggled.

"Wait, why do I have to see him?"

The smile on her face faded a little bit. Peter excused himself to go hang out with Jasper on the back porch.

"He really misses you, Bella. You don't know how much."

She went on to explain what happened after I left. Edward's self-imposed solitary confinement, the morbid melodies, the lack of eating. As she told the tale of his grief, I gnawed on the inside of my cheek and couldn't help asking-

"Why is he so upset?"

Alice frowned a tiny frown and asked me what I meant.

"I mean, Edward and I barely spoke to each other. He's dealt with death before. Why is he so upset?"

"You'll have to ask him yourself."

"Oh, great," I snorted, slumping down into a chair. "Anyway, how'd he figure out I'm not worm food?"

Peter rolled his eyes at my phrasing.

"Well," Alice hedged, "he went to visit your grave and he found a poem. It was by Mary Elizabeth Frye, maybe you've heard of it?"

I had... what a creepy thing to leave at someone's grave.

"Anyway, he found it and then he noticed that he couldn't... um... smell... you."

My nose crinkled. "Smell me? That settles it, I am never going near a cemetery."

"Yeah, and that's when he figured it out."

I moved my head in a nodding motion. "And you think he'll come 'track me down' or something?"

She twisted her delicate fingers together and raised her shoulders. "I saw it. Unless he changes his mind, which he probably won't, he should be here by tomorrow."

Flying up from my chair, I flung my hands out in frustration. "I don't see what the big deal is! If I want to fake my death and turn vamp, it's none of Edward Cullen's business!"

Alice winced and sent a pleading look my way. "I understand how you feel, but I think he just needs to know you're okay."

I gaped at her. "Unbelievable."

Peter decided this was the moment to cut in, "Now, Bells, he only wants to see you. It's not like he wants to lock you up and make you dance for treats."

I glared at him. "I just want to be left alone! Is that too much to ask?"

My words must've hit the wrong person because Alice winced and smiled sadly. "I'm sorry, Bella. If you want I could try to talk him out of it, but Edward can be incredibly stubborn. I wish you the best."

And with that, she and Jasper left. Gone in an instant.

Once they were out of earshot, I fell back into my chair and stared at the floor, afraid of the disappointment I knew I would find in Peter's eyes. The minutes ticked by- to my new mind, every minute was long enough without waiting for Peter to chastise me.

Eventually he spoke, his soft voice barely coloring the air. "Bella, I think you should talk to him. Obviously the boy is in pain."

"I know, but I don't want to. We weren't exactly bff's back in Forks."

"Well maybe you can be now," he suggested.

"Yeah right," I scoffed. He was... perfect. Bordering-on-creepy perfect.

"Here's a question, just what are you planning on doing with your immortality anyway?"

I looked up at his inquisitive face and realized I didn't really know. Going into this, I had some idea, but nothing concrete.

"Erm..."

"Talk to Edward. Maybe strike up a new friendship. I know you've been counting down to this all your life. The countdown is over now, Bells. I'm afraid you have to start actually _living_."

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Review please! And a gold star goes to anyone who's still reading this haha =P


	15. Chapter 15

EPOV

When I left the house, Carlisle and Esme were a tad concerned with the state I was in, flustered and wild-eyed; their worried thoughts only made me run faster. All of them agreed that Alice had been awfully quiet over the past few weeks. I realized then that I should've pressed harder for information although anyone who knew Alice knew not to push her.

Of course she knew about Bella. I just couldn't figure out why she would let it happen. Why would she let Bella Swan be turned into a monster when she knew the horrors intimately?

I would ask when I met up with her and Jasper. Judging by the strength of their scent, it wouldn't be long.

My feet carried me north as fast as I could persuade them to. Even with my supernatural speed it seemed too slow. The trees of the forest became an ongoing blur of bark and leaves, the various heartbeats of nearby beasts went unnoticed. I did not know the burning hunger in my throat, I did not remember my human duties, I only thought of one thing: seeing Bella's living form for myself. Whatever reason her death was faked, all that mattered to me was that she was alive, safe, and perhaps even happy wherever she was now. _Please, let her be safe. _

I hardly dared to let my mind entertain the idea of Bella actually being converted into a vampire. The possibilities were... too sweet to fathom.

As I crossed the border into Canada I thought of the other item I wanted from Bella: answers. I wanted to know what was going on, no more vague deceptions. The truth would be mine. Questions that had been flipping about in my head would finally be quelled.

Why did she move to Forks? Why wasn't her mother at her funeral? What business did she have with Peter anyway? How did all this come to pass?

I tracked my siblings well into the snow until I flew through another stretch of woods and then an open lot of snow with a cabin sitting in the center of it. And I smelled two new beings.

Peter and a female vampire I hadn't met before... she smelled faintly of strawberries.

I dared to hope.

It occurred to me as I rushed toward the house that I looked maniacal- rumpled clothing, wild hair, insane eyes. I couldn't find it in me to care though.

Alice and Jasper had left the day before, that much I knew.

It took Peter half a second too long to answer the door.

He looked me over calmly and plainly said, "Hello, Edward."

"Where is she?" I growled.

On the other side of the house I heard Bella's voice mutter a sarcastic remark regarding my demeanor. I shot past Peter and into the room where she was.

Good God she was beautiful. I had thought her beautiful as a human, in this new enhanced form she nearly brought me to my knees.

_She's still here. _

_She's safe. _

I stood there for a moment, just looking at her before she arched an eyebrow and folded her slender arms over her t-shirt.

"Can I help you?" Bella asked sardonically.

I gnashed my teeth and remembered what else I wanted from her.

"Yes, you can start by explaining this mess you call your life," I snapped, more harshly than I intended to.

She rolled her eyes as Peter appeared in the doorway.

"Yeah, Bella," Peter teased, "you really have made a mess of things."

"Bite me," she sneered caustically.

"Been there, done that," was his glib reply.

She glared at him until he retreated out of the room. Then her eyes met mine sharply.

"I don't see how this is any of your business."

"Cut the shit and tell me what the hell is going on."

My language startled her. _I've been spending too much time at high school... _

"Fine," she huffed, sitting down on a little cot in the corner. "Where should I start?"

"The beginning would be nice." Finally feeling like I had the upper hand in all this, I crossed my arms and leaned back against the wall. Under my gaze, she scratched the back of her ear- the motion looked forced- and let her eyes drift around the room.

"I was four when Renee decided to take me to Italy on vacation. She was on a pasta fix or something, though it would be fun."

She paused to collect her thoughts, all the while avoiding my eyes.

"I don't remember any of it, but apparently she got into some trouble. Long story short, Peter messed up and Renee found out what he was. Then the big bad Volturi got involved, took my mother and me back to their 'secret lair' for questioning and executioning and whatnot." Another pause. "I'm still fuzzy on the details, but Renee said they found out I had some kind of mental shield that they found interesting. Peter, being the big sentimental fool he is, talked them into letting us go... on one condition: that I would be turned by my eighteenth birthday and Renee would be executed- I didn't know any of this until I was about twelve. Renee left Charlie, I don't know if it was related to what happened or not, but anyway, Peter met up with us in Phoenix. I don't know how he managed to keep himself a secret for as long as he did. He and Renee told me about 'the deal' on my twelfth birthday. I thought they were insane, of course. My mom was practically known for being eccentric, so I thought it was just another kick she was on. That lasted for a minute until Peter showed me she was telling the truth."

Silence overtook the room for a minute. It was obvious she was uncomfortable.

"What happened then?"

She lifted one shoulder and dropped it. "I went on. I was furious and freaked out, but I got over it. Plus, I got to say good-bye to my mother on my own terms. I was able to spend the last month or so with Charlie, got used to the 'vampire climate' as Peter calls it. And I got to choose the day I died, so to speak. I guess I'm lucky that way."

I interrupted her, "Is Renee still alive?"

Another shrug. "Peter says it's better if I just assume she already is. I'm not supposed to think about it too much."

_It probably hasn't sunk in, yet._ Being separated from the world up here must've made it easy for her to distance herself from everything. Numb and blissfully unaware of her old life.

"What will you do now?" I asked quietly.

Bella's caramel eyes raised to meet my own. "I have no clue. All I thought about was dying, I never planned what would happen next."

I stood up straight and ran over the information she'd given me once more.

"Bella I am so-"

"Don't," she cut me off, eyes flashing dangerously. "I don't want or need your pity."

"What happened to you was awful. I was merely offering my sympathy," I explained gently, hoping this would not turn into another quarrel.

"Well don't. I'm fine. I accepted this a long time ago. Now you have your answers and you have me all figured out. Don't let the door hit you on your way out."

I was taken aback by how quickly she shut me out again.

"Bella-"

She rose swiftly and blurred out of the room. I followed.

"Go away," she barked.

"What if I want to stay?" I challenged.

Her chest jerked with a forced breath. "Then I'll leave."

And with that, she shot into the trees with alarming speed. _Damn newborns. _I sprinted after her, my pace only a fraction slower than hers. The view was not half bad. _Definitely need to stop going to high school, Edward. _The knee-length skirt she wore whipped around her slender, powerful legs and the material of her shirt clung to her torso. Her hair was long and flew out a good two feet at least behind her. I could've reached out and touched the chestnut curls if I so wished.

Of course, I wouldn't dare.

She ran and I chased for more than a human hour. As we went, I was pleased to see how agile she had become... although there was the possibility that she couldn't afford any slips with me practically on her heels.

Then it happened. A different scent filled my nose and dread filled my belly. _Human. _Bella came crashing to a stop and I froze in place. Her eyes grew wide and she inhaled tentatively. _No. _I slowly began to reach for her.

"Bella-"

Before I could finish my sentence, she clamped her hand over her nose and mouth and fired off back in the direction of the cabin.

Bella Swan was just full of surprises.


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